Jeep with Batmobile

The law says front windows must have at least 65 % of light coming through - so a very light tint only is allowed

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How dark is too dark? Well, when it comes to the windows of your car, the Gardai have the exact answers.

Gardai in West Cork have been conducting checks on vehicles with tinted windows, using a special electronic photometer that measures the exact amount of light getting through.

The law is straightforward - Under roadworthiness testing laws, a vehicle's windscreen, and front side windows must have a light transmission or transparency level of at least 65%. That means tints can stop up to 35% of the light getting through.

Under the Irish road traffic regulations, the driver must always have a view to the front and side of the vehicle necessary to enable them to drive safely.

An Garda Síochána currently have the equipment to test the transparency level of windows at roadside checks. If a vehicle is found to have excessively tinted windows, both the owner and driver can be charged.

Window tint is part of NCT (National Car Test) testing in Ireland. If you install window tint which is not legally permitted your vehicle will fail inspection.

In West Cork yesterday, the Cork West Road Policing Unit was busy conducting a Visible Light Transmission check on vehicles. They stopped a Jeep and found that the front side widows were only allowing 12.2% V.L.T - or blocking nearly 90% of the visible light.

When the results were posted to social media, one commentator joked that the driver was going for the 'Batmobile' look with super dark tints on the side-windows that must have greatly affected visibility. The Gardai have advised: "Please remember vehicles windscreen and front side windows must have a light transparency/transmission level of a least 65% otherwise you may face a court appearance." The Gardai have issued a handy chart to show what the law says - in simple terms - regarding window tints on vehicles in Ireland.

With the average cost of tinting windows around the €400-€500 mark, it's a costly enough customisation to carry out for your car and one that could - if done improperly - result in a court appearence, a hefty fine and/or penalty points. The most simple rule of thumb - tints on your rear windows are fine - but only the lightest will pass the test on the front side and windscreen. And you are probably better off avoiding tints on the front at all.

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